Trump Begins to Fill Top Posts With Loyal Defenders
Also, a judge blocked a Louisiana law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.
by https://www.nytimes.com/by/matthew-cullen · NY TimesDonald Trump is moving quickly to fill the top jobs in his upcoming administration. He confirmed today that his national security adviser would be Representative Michael Waltz of Florida, a former Green Beret who has taken a tough line on China. He also announced that he would nominate Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Other early picks include: Representative Elise Stefanik as the ambassador to the U.N.; former Representative Lee Zeldin as the head of the E.P.A.; Stephen Miller, the immigration hard-liner, as a deputy chief of staff; and Thomas Homan as “border czar.” Perhaps most significant so far, Trump is expected to name Senator Marco Rubio of Florida as his secretary of state — a former critic who has become a vocal defender.
Some Republicans in Congress warned that they couldn’t spare many more members departing a House that they expect to just barely hold a majority in.
Susan Wiles, Trump’s pick for chief of staff, is helping the president-elect shape his administration. She told donors at a private event yesterday that Trump would move on his first day in office to reinstate several executive orders from his first term.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is also expected to have a role in Trump’s administration. His role is not yet clear, but he has an expansive wish list for ways to reshape public health.
In other politics news:
- Trump is mounting another bid to dismiss his criminal conviction in New York.
- Much of corporate America is betting that a second Trump term will be good for the economy.
- Mexico signaled that it would respond to new U.S. tariffs with trade restrictions of its own.
- Higher education has been a favorite target of Republicans. Now, colleges and universities are wondering if they will be “the enemy” under Trump.
- The Democratic Party will soon be without an obvious leader. There will be no shortage of ambitious people looking to fill that gap.
- Some Black voters ask: What have Democrats done for us?
A judge blocked Louisiana’s classroom Commandments law
A federal judge in Louisiana ruled today that a state law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom was unconstitutional. The legislation was set to take effect on Jan. 1, but John deGravelles, an Obama appointee, prohibited Louisiana from enforcing it.
Proponents of the measure are prepared for a lengthy legal fight as part of a larger effort to amplify public expressions of faith. Louisiana’s Republican attorney general vowed an immediate appeal.
Airman sentenced to 15 years for leaking U.S. secrets
A federal judge today sentenced Jack Teixeira, a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, to 15 years in prison for posting secret intelligence reports on the social media site Discord. Prosecutors said that they had found no evidence that Teixeira, who is 22, had been engaged in espionage. Instead, he posted the information to impress anonymous friends.
In court documents, prosecutors described Teixeira as among the most prolific leakers of national defense secrets in the country’s history. He was arrested in the spring of 2023 after uploading hundreds of pages of documents, including detailed battlefield maps from Ukraine and confidential assessments of Russia’s war machine.
The archbishop of Canterbury resigned over an abuse scandal
Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, announced his resignation today. His decision came days after a report concluded that he had failed to ensure a proper investigation into claims that more than 100 boys and young men were abused decades ago at Christian summer camps.
More top news
- Russia: The lower house of Parliament passed a law that would ban what it calls “propaganda” discouraging Russians from having children.
- Middle East: Israel said it had returned to North Gaza to fight a Hamas resurgence. The renewed offensive has brought a new round of suffering for residents.
- Environment: The Biden administration is imposing a fee on large energy companies that spew excess methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
- China: A man drove a vehicle into a crowd at a sports center in the southern city of Zhuhai, killing at least 35 people.
- Amsterdam: Sixty-two people have been detained in connection with unrest surrounding a soccer match.
- Climate: An appeals court in the Netherlands overturned a ruling that would have made Shell reduce its carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2030.
- Military: Chronic brain trauma is extensive in the Navy’s elite speedboat crews from years of high-speed wave slamming.
- Health: After decades of unrelenting increases, rates of sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. are showing hints of a downturn.
TIME TO UNWIND
‘Orbital’ won the Booker Prize
Samantha Harvey’s “Orbital” won the Booker Prize, the prestigious British literary award given to novels written in English. The book — which at 136 pages is the prize’s second-shortest winner — is set aboard the International Space Station, where astronauts and cosmonauts observe the Earth from above.
The chair of this year’s panel of judges praised “Orbital” for its lyricism, calling it a “beautiful, miraculous novel.” It beat five other shortlisted titles.
When Anna Wintour let Marc Jacobs do her job
In late spring, Vogue’s notoriously decisive editor, Anna Wintour, had trouble deciding what to do with the magazine’s December issue. So she decided to try something she had never done before: She allowed someone else to take the reins.
The result, which was released online this week, is an entire issue of Vogue edited by the designer Marc Jacobs. We interviewed Wintour and Jacobs about how it happened — arguments, lessons and laughs included. When we asked Wintour if she’d consider handing over the magazine more permanently, she didn’t mince words: “No, absolutely not,” she said.
Dinner table topics
- Beekeeping in the sky: On and around some of New York City’s most iconic buildings, beehives are buzzing.
- When your kids don’t want kids: A growing number of Americans are grappling with the grief of never becoming grandparents.
- Fancy labels: Alcohol brands are trying to woo young drinkers by turning their bottles into pieces of art.
- Cheap flights: Airlines hate “skiplagging,” a travel hack. We talked to the man who helps travelers pull it off.
WHAT TO DO TONIGHT
Cook: Bangers with mashed winter squash and fried sage is an autumnal spin on a British classic.
Watch: “Say Nothing” strives to capture the complexity of the long sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.
Read: Check out these five vintage crime novels.
Game: Our writer recommends PowerWash Simulator, a low-stress video game.
Primp: Here’s how to dye your hair and not regret it.
Groom: A hot shower can dry out your hair and skin. Try turning the temperature down.
Compete: Take this week’s Flashback history quiz.
Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here.
ONE LAST THING
Meet your new favorite Thanksgiving pie
Thanksgiving is for pie lovers. There are the classics — pumpkin, apple and pecan — but why limit yourself? This year, my colleague Vaughn Vreeland’s assignment was to develop pie recipes so enticing that you’ll want to be the one to bring the dessert.
He baked about five dozen pies and narrowed them down to six stunning recipes, including butterscotch banana cream pie and pomegranate cardamom apple pie. Check them out, or watch this step-by-step video guide for baking each one.
Have a mouthwatering evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
Emree Weaver was our photo editor today.
We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.